Category Archives: Short Track Super Series

Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP South Region Special To Offer $5,000 Winner’s Share From $25,000-Plus Purse Structure

DELMAR, DE – The date has been set for a Delaware dirt-track highlight of 2016.

For the second consecutive year, the Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP South Region will visit Delaware International Speedway to take part in the prestigious ‘Diamond State 50’ at Charlie Cathell’s half-mile oval. After a decade-long absence, the event returned to Delaware International last summer, setting the stage for the ’16 edition.

The ‘Diamond State 50’ is scheduled for Thursday, May 26, 2016. An August rain date will be used, if needed.

“We are very pleased to be able to showcase our series in the First State and work with the Cathell family again next year,” said Short Track Super Series organizer Brett Deyo of BD Motorsports Media LLC. “Our out-of-state racers were blown away by the tacky clay surface and amenities at Delaware International. It was a season highlight for all of us.”

The ’15 ‘Diamond State 50’ was slated for Tuesday, August 4. Heavy rain pushed the event back to Wednesday night. David Van Horn Jr. of Harmony, N.J., picked up the $5,215 victory over Delaware’s Matt Jester, Pennsylvania star Craig Von Dohren and Maryland drivers Shawn Ward and Brad Trice.

The ’16 May date, preceding Memorial Day weekend, will showcase the ‘Diamond State 50’ earlier in the season when race teams are fresh and more competitors are in the mix for top positions in the STSS South Region point standings.

“Last year’s race set the groundwork for a success in ’16,” Deyo said. “The earlier date as a true ‘kickoff to summer’ should allow even more competitors to take part in the event before the summer stretch and get the holiday weekend started with a bang.”

Again, the ‘Diamond State 50’ will be headlined by a big-block/small-block Modified 50-lap main event offering a total purse of more than $25,700. The winner’s share of $5,000 will be boosted by lap money and bonus cash. The 10th-place finisher will receive a minimum of $1,000, with $400 to take the green flag.

Crate 602 Sportsman will take part in the program. A full lineup will be announced as the event approaches.

Cathell is looking forward to the return of the STSS at the ‘Diamond State 50’ program.

“We had cars from as far north as New York last year and the crowd was strong in spite of the weather postponement we faced,” Cathell said. “We’re looking forward to an even bigger and better show this time around.”

The STSS South Region is set for its second season with a focus on racers from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. Ryan Watt of Boyertown, Pa., was the inaugural STSS South Region champion and pocketed $7,500 for his efforts.

The Delaware Motorsports Complex, located on the First State side of the Delaware/Maryland border, includes Delaware International Speedway, the U.S. 13 Dragway and the U.S. 13 Kart Track. The Cathell family has operated the facility since 1963.

The ‘Diamond State 50’ is the first of two midweek Modified events on the track’s ’16 calendar. The annual Camp Barnes Benefit Stock Car Race is slated for a Tuesday night in June. This event is run to benefit the Camp Barnes, not-for-profit youth summer camp run by the Delaware State Police in Ocean View, Del.

Delaware International Speedway, located at 37854 Sussex Highway Delmar, Delaware 19940, is on the web at www.delawareracing.com and can be contacted by phone, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.–4 p.m., at 302.846.3911.

Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP Set For Third Season With North & South Regions

BOYERTOWN, PA – VP Racing Fuels is known for its ‘Makin’ Power’ slogan.

In 2016, the Short Track Super Series (STSS) will be “powered” once again by VP Racing Fuels. An agreement has been reached between BD Motorsports Media LLC, operator of the series, and VP Racing Fuels to partner for the ’16 season and beyond. The series will now be known as the Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP.

The STSS is readying for its third season with North and South regions again in place for the upcoming campaign. Stewart Friesen of Sprakers, N.Y., annexed the $15,000 Bob Hilbert Sportswear North Region title, while Ryan Watt of Boyertown, Pa., was heralded as the $7,500 Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. South Region champion in 2015.

“We have just finished another strong season with the series,” said Brett Deyo of BD Motorsports Media LLC. “Our racing was competitive, the North Region car counts remained solid and the new South Region was an immediate success.

“We’re proud to once again be aligned with the traditional VP Racing Fuels brand and allow our competitors to reap the benefits of a partnership with the industry leader.”

“I had the opportunity to personally check out the Short Track Super Series first-hand and meet many of the competitors,” Wesler said. “I was very impressed with the series and feel there is a mutual benefit to this agreement for both VP Racing Fuels and the STSS.”

VP Racing Fuels will contribute to the series’ mammoth point fund and racers will enjoy per-race benefits as well, with $150 in product certificates distributed at each event plus other perks.

VP Racing Fuels will be on sale at all ’16 STSS events with authorized dealers on-site at every race on the schedule. To learn more about VP Racing Fuels, visit www.vpracingfuels.com.

STSS scheduling is underway currently for the ’16 season and will be released in the coming weeks.

AFTON, NY – The epitome of a “low-budget” racer, Danny Creeden appropriately won the “Working Man’s Race” of 2015.

Creeden, of Wurtsboro, N.Y., authored a stirring drive to victory in Saturday night’s Halmar International Short Track SuperNationals 8 presented by Olum’s at I-88 Speedway, becoming the eighth different victor in as many editions of the event. He earned $5,000 from the posted purse, $50 from Lias Tire/American Racer as a heat winner, $940 in lap money (including $800 from Dale and Sue Smith and R&B Construction as the Halfway Leader) and $200 from Craig Decker Forest Products for crew chief Rob Bakker.

Creeden’s cash take from the 50-lap big-block/small-block event was a hefty $6,190.

Stewart Friesen, meanwhile, drove from 26th starting position to finish sixth and earned the 2015 Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Hi-Tek Bob Hilbert Sportswear North Region title, worth $15,000. Sprakers, N.Y.’s Friesen, a four-time winner on the series this season, earned the title by 134 markers over runner-up Danny Johnson.

A strong field of 54 Modifieds attempted to qualify for the STSS 2015 finale, with 28 starting the main event.

Delaware’s Matt Jester, who picked the pole via a redraw of top qualifiers. Jester led the opening six circuits before Mitch Gibbs put his No. 2G into the lead. Gibbs, a multi-time track champion, had started from outside the front row.

Creeden’s No. 16X was moving forward from 10th starting spot. Jester’s great run ended with a right-front wheel issue on the 11th lap. At that point, Creeden arrived in the runner-up spot and began his pursuit of the lead.

Creeden was chasing down Gibbs when a yellow on lap 21 set up a pivotal double-file restart.

Gibbs elected to start from the outside lane. Creeden was able to fire off the inside and take over the lead. Once in front, Creeden inched away from Gibbs during the race’s mid-portions.

Lapped traffic became heavy during the race’s final stretch of 29 green-flag laps.

As Creeden picked through traffic, Gibbs, an emerging Mike Mahaney (from 21st on the grid), Paul Jensen, Jeff Heotzler and Friesen diced from second through sixth.

Mahaney, of King Ferry, N.Y., put his Charlie Davis-owned No. 21 into second with less than five laps remaining but had little time to chase down Creeden, who earned the fourth BD Motorsports Media LLC victory of his career. He had previously won at I-88, Accord (N.Y.) and New Egypt (N.J.) speedways.

Jensen, of Edmeston, N.Y., started sixth, faded early and recovered to finish third, with Wallkill, N.Y.’s Jeff Heotzler recovering from a mid-race skirmish to finish fourth in Mel Schrufer’s No. 2A. Gibbs, of North Norwich, N.Y., completed the front five.

Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively were Friesen, who had been a late arrival to the speedway after competing at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, N.Y., earlier in the day; track regular Brett Tonkin of Carbondale, Pa., who started 16th and had spun on lap four; Bobby Varin of Sharon Springs, N.Y., in the Norm Hansell-owned No. 357 after pitting mid-race; Andy Bachetti of Sheffield, Mass., who made two trips to the pits during the main; and Ryan Jordan of Dryden, N.Y., who ran as high as third in the race’s early laps.

On Friday night, Gibbs won the 8-lap Dash for the fastest six cars in Modified practice, earning an automatic redraw position for Saturday’s feature.

By a nose, Brad Weaver of Conklin, N.Y., held off Alison Ricci to win the 25-lap GRIT American Series Crate 602 Sportsman main. Weaver, the son of area star Brian Weaver, was driving a Jamie Batzel-backed No. 1K. Ricci nearly pulled even with Weaver on the event’s final lap working the inside lane. The third-generation driver fell a wheel short of her first I-88 victory.

Josh Keesey, Pat Jordan and Dale Welty finished third through fifth, respectively, after a final-lap skirmish and tech inspection.

Will Eastman of Oneonta, N.Y., pulled off a last-lap, last turn pass of Michael Burrows to win the Saturday 20-lap XCel 600 Modified “tour” event paying $1,000 to win. Eastman drove hard to the inside of Burrows entering turn three on the final lap and was able to annex the win. Burrows, Josh Pepe, Nathan Brinker and Kyle Fallis trailed.

Quebec’s Eric Sunborg took the lead mid-race and went on to win the 20-lap Empire Lightning Sprint event with a strong 19-car field on hand. Sunborg earned $500 for his efforts by defeating Peter Dance, Ty Tilton, Rick Stone and Stephane St. Laurant.

Ray See Jr. of Patterson, N.Y., rode the outside groove to victory in an entertaining 15-lap Vintage Modified Open run on Saturday afternoon. A dozen Vintage Modifieds took part in the event, with Rob Sanford chasing See across the line.

*****

Despite day-long rain and infrequent showers into the evening, Friday night’s preliminary program of the Short Track SuperNationals was completed in full. I-88 was the only track in New York State to race on Friday.

Alan Barker of Norwich, N.Y., led the Friday winners, taking the 30-lap Open vs. Crate 602 Sportsman event. Barker raced from eighth starting spot to take the lead. However, Barker was pressured heavily in the final laps by Harold Humphrey, who had started deep in the field from 18th position.

Humphrey found the inside lane of the speedway to his liking late in the going and fell less than a half car-length shy of the win at the line. New Jersey’s Steve Davis was third, followed by Jimmy Wells and Tim Guild (earning a $200 bonus as the highest-finishing Crate 602 engine).

Doug Polhamus drove to the 20-lap Green’s Flag Car Service Street Stock win, taking home $600 for his efforts. Polhamus was trailed to the finish by Butch Green, Steve Polhamus, Ray Lindquist and Russ Morseman.

It appeared Richie Hitzler was poised for a $1,000 XCel 600 Modified “tour race” payout in the 20-lap main, but Pipersville, Pa.’s Brian Carber had other ideas. Carber, using his Sprint Car experience, drove inside of Hitzler on the final lap to put the Harrar Motorsports car in Victory Lane. Hitzler settled for second, with Will Eastman, Jonathan Josko and Dylan McCrone finishing third through fifth.

The Four Cylinder cars and Trucks were part of a features-only program. Chris Andrew drove a car purchased from Dylan Robinson to the 15-lap triumph in the FWD Four Cylinders, while Bob Crandall held off Doug O’Hara to win the Empire Sport Truck 15-lap main.

*****

Saturday’s event concluded the ’15 STSS points-paying season. The Awards Banquet will be held at the Holiday Inn Lehigh Valley Conference Center in Allentown, Pa., on Dec. 19.